"Is he really a third-tier Class holder?" Hu Lao clicked his tongue in disbelief as he stared at the Guardian Demon Soldier lying crumpled on the ground.
He had personally experienced just how powerful the Guardian Demon Soldier became when it entered its berserk state.
Back then, he had thrown everything he had into blocking it, yet a single blow from the creature had sent him flying, his HP plummeting below a third in an instant.
If their team leader, Ziwei, hadn't used a fourth-tier magic scroll to bind the Guardian Demon Soldier in time, one more hit would have finished him off.
Yet now Shi Feng, a mere third-tier Sword King, had gone toe-to-toe with the berserk Guardian Demon Soldier head-on and wounded it with a single strike. That kind of power was simply terrifying.
At that moment, not only were Hu Lao and the others frozen in shock, but even the Blood Oath and Star Ring members who had been planning to deal with Shi Feng were rendered speechless, mouths agape as they stared at the fallen Guardian Demon Soldier.
"Damn it! How did he become so strong?" Shi Xue Zhan Hun's expression was impossibly grave as he looked at Shi Feng, all trace of his earlier anger and battle fervor gone without a whisper.
When they had killed the berserk Guardian Demon Soldier earlier, they had burned through three fourth-tier magic scrolls, and seven of their third-tier experts had died in the process. Thank heavens for respawns, but even so, the 50% experience penalty had dealt a meaningful blow to their team's third-tier powerhouses.
Now Shi Feng had crippled the same berserk Guardian Demon Soldier with such effortless nonchalance. If it came to a real fight, their losses would likely be far worse. After all, players were nothing like monsters. Monsters could be manipulated through aggro mechanics, and their dodging and blocking were mediocre at best—they relied on their massive HP pools to trade blows head-on.
Players were different. They might not have a monster's inflated HP, but when it came to dodging and parrying attacks, even same-tier experts could be left utterly exasperated, forced to chip away at each other's health bit by bit in a drawn-out exchange. Cleanly landing a hit on a vital point or the body was a rare occurrence.
"Demon Sword Elder, this situation is looking rather troublesome. It's only been a short while, and this kid's stats probably rival those freaks on par with the top monsters—maybe even exceed them." Feng Mo glanced at the Guardian Demon Soldier that still hadn't gotten back up and couldn't help but address Sword Demon.
There were three extraordinary monsters on Dragon Heart Island, creatures that every major superpower gave a wide berth. Even Star Ring wanted nothing to do with them.
The power Shi Feng had just displayed was in no way inferior to those three freaks.
If it came to a fight—even with all four of them employing their newly learned battle formation—the outcome would be far from certain. And Sky Blade's side still had Ziwei, whose demonstrated strength had exceeded their expectations.
"His Strength stat has already surpassed that of a High Lord of the same tier?" Sword Demon watched Shi Feng standing there in perfect stillness, an inexpressible shock churning inside him. "How many opportunities and resources has he managed to accumulate?"
He himself had the backing of Star Ring. The resources he obtained were beyond what the leaders of even first-rate guilds could imagine. When he had advanced to the third tier, he had even stumbled upon a fortuitous encounter that granted him a Strength-based bloodline and a top-tier inheritance. In raw Strength alone, he was already approaching that of a same-tier High Lord, and with the battle formation's boost, he had surpassed one.
In terms of sheer Strength, he stood at the absolute pinnacle of the Divine Realm. The only beings on Dragon Heart Island who could reliably overpower him were those three extraordinary monsters ranked in the top tier.
But those three monsters each had a super-guild pouring its full resources behind them. The opportunities and assets they possessed were beyond anything he could rival, so falling short was only natural.
Yet before him stood Shi Feng, who had nothing but Zero Wing. Even allied with powerhouses like the Dragon and Phoenix Pavilion and the Undying War Soul, there was no way he should have been able to reach this level.
After a brief silence, every third-tier expert present—whether from Blood Oath or Star Ring—remained utterly still, their gazes on Shi Feng laden with wariness.
The members of Sky Blade couldn't help but watch in admiration.
Shi Feng wounding the Guardian Demon Soldier in a single strike was shocking enough, but the fact that he had simultaneously intimidated all thirty-two peak third-tier experts from Blood Oath and Star Ring into silence was nothing short of extraordinary.
If word of this spread, it would shake the entirety of Dragon Heart Island.
After all, among third-tier Class holders, the gap between tiers wasn't nearly as vast as it had been between the second and third tiers. Even a peak third-tier expert facing another third-tier opponent couldn't casually shrug off dozens of enemies the way they once could back in the second tier—facing six or seven third-tier opponents at once was already enough to put one's life in genuine jeopardy.
"No wonder Black Flame came with only three people for the rescue. He really does have this kind of terrifying power. Blood Oath and Star Ring are going to have to rethink their plans now," the third-tier female elementalist Chu Die remarked happily, watching the scene unfold.
The three great monsters of Dragon Heart Island were horrifyingly strong—even the main squads of those superpowers didn't dare provoke them. And Shi Feng's displayed power was in no way inferior to theirs. Coupled with experts like them on her side, Blood Oath and Star Ring's odds of winning were looking exceedingly slim.
"See, Brother Hu Lao? I told you so," Fan Mu Ran said with a touch of pride, looking at the stunned Hu Lao.
She knew full well just how strong Shi Feng was. Even the Demon Emperor Palace's main squad hadn't been a match for him, so Blood Oath and Star Ring didn't stand a chance either.
Right now, she was already wondering what expression Hu Lao would make if he learned that Shi Feng had single-handedly repelled the Demon Emperor Palace's main squad in a frontal confrontation—and that among them had been Lin Xie, ranked among Dragon Heart Island's top ten.
With Shi Feng's opening strike crippling the Guardian Demon Soldier, Ke Le and the others surged forward and unleashed a flurry of devastating attacks. Their combat power was far from matching Shi Feng's, but their strength was formidable enough that only a handful of individuals from Blood Oath and Star Ring could hope to contend with them. Everyone else was simply outmatched.
And so, the assembled crowd simply watched in silence as Shi Feng and his three companions dismantled the Guardian Demon Soldier. The scene was eerily quiet.
"Captain Shi Xue, you've been watching for quite some time now. Would you prefer to leave on your own, or shall I escort you out?" Shi Feng collected the Guardian Demon Soldier's drops, then turned toward Shi Xue Zhan Hun and his people with a smile.
As for Shi Xue Zhan Hun and the rest, while their strength had improved dramatically after advancing to the third tier, they posed little threat to someone who wielded several fragments of Legendary-grade items.
The only real wild card was whatever trump cards Blood Oath and Star Ring had hidden up their sleeves. After all, Blood Oath had earned its reputation as the number-one adventure team on Dragon Heart Island—they had certainly stumbled upon no shortage of opportunities, and whatever hidden strength they harbored should not be underestimated.
But with Shi Feng breaking the silence, Shi Xue Zhan Hun's face was ashen. He couldn't decide whether to fight or to flee.
If they pressed on, they would be facing someone whose power was on par with Dragon Heart Island's three great monsters. If they didn't, they would be forfeiting a prime opportunity to obtain the Tree of Life—and Blood Oath's reputation would take a considerable hit. This sort of thing was impossible to keep under wraps.
The members of Sky Blade watched it all unfold, and their admiration for Shi Feng grew with each passing moment.
Since becoming the number-one adventure team on Dragon Heart Island, Blood Oath had carried itself with an enormous presence. Not a single superpower had dared to provoke them.
The number of people in all of Dragon Heart Island who could bring Blood Oath to such a standstill could be counted on one hand.
Just then, another commotion arose from within the inner corridor, and all eyes turned toward it. A team of over fifty people emerged from the monster-infested passage, their imposing aura sending a collective chill through everyone present. Each of them bore the guild emblem of the Thirteen Thrones. At their head strode an elderly man—this was none other than Wu Lao, an elder of the Thirteen Thrones.